SAFETY IN TRIP PROVISION

As a provider of trips and expeditions to the Sahara, Desert Fox is in close contact with government authorities, relevant agencies and Tuareg nomads.

Consequently we are well-informed and will avoid any known or anticipated risks.

All our tours will be approved by the relevant authorities.

French tour operators fly weekly flights to Tamanrasset and Djanet during the winter.  In Libya the flights are not as frequent.

For Libya we recommend collection of our clients from Tunisia International Airport in Tunis.

Libya is still considered safe and there are internal flights from Tunisia (Tunis International) to Libya (Tripoli, Benghazi etc) and internal flights to Ghat.

Please note:  

Similarly operators like Point Afrique provide frequent flights to Bamako, Timbouctou, Mopti and Gao in Mali.

Safety in the south of Algeria has improved considerably, however there are incursions from time to time in Mali. 

Please note:

We cannot rely on emergency evacuation and rapid-response by helicopters and medical units in North Africa and we must therefore be pretty much self-sufficient.

JUST A FEW HAZARDS TO WATCH OUT FOR

Scorpions, horned vipers, mosquitoes and other disease-carrying little blighters.

It is recommended that Hepatitis, Rabies, Meningitis vaccinations are taken.

Yellow Fever is a must, as are malarial phyrolaxis, especially in wet or damp places like marshes, deltas, river banks (rivers) etc. Yellow Fever certification is compulsory in some countries, and has to be produced to the authorities at borders between countries and sometimes checkpoints.

Make sure too, that all boosters are up to date, like Tetanus, Typhus, Polio etc, and that a TB test has been carried out to ascertain your immunity against TB.

FALLS, BROKEN BONES, TWISTED ANKLES, SUNSTROKE, SUNBURN ETC

These are not an inevitable fact with desert travelling; sensible footwear is recommended and all times, and broken bones can be splinted, but no advanced first aid can be offered, so it is sensible to bear in mind casualty.

Sunstroke can be prevented by the sensible precaution of protecting oneself from the sun and the heat, by drinking sufficient liquids, and by liberal use of moisturisers and aftersun treatments and clothing.

Participants are responsible for their own use of prescribed medication. Our First Aid box is adequate for most basic requirements, but as space is at a premium there are no means for dealing with the more serious accidents like large bone breaks, or high falls from precipices, or serious head, spine or back injuries etc.

It is recommended that all participants have a full medical before embarking on the expeditions Desert Fox offers, and that medical and health insurance should be taken out, including repatriation, should this be required or possible, that it is up to date and provides adequate cover for this type of trip. Please click here for link to Disclaimer.

Distances travelled are in the region of up to 5,000 per trip, and for the longer-haul expeditions, up 8,000 kms per trip. In the more far reaches, or extreme areas of the desert, the nearest large village or equipped (medical, doctors, hospitals etc) town is up to 2 days drive away, that is, anything up to 200-300 kms.